In a tragic turn of events, the self-styled godman Narayan Saakar Hari, commonly known as ‘Bhole Baba,’ conducted a ‘Satsang Sabha’ that resulted in the deaths of 121 individuals due to a stampede. This horrifying incident took place in Phulrai village, under Sikandrau tehsil of Hathras district. As of now, Bhole Baba remains elusive despite an intense manhunt launched by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
121 dead at Bhole Baba’s event in Hathras.
Hathras Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sunil Kumar, reported that Bhole Baba has not yet been apprehended. The police have been actively searching for him since the tragic night. They even raided the Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri district, hoping to find him. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain. “We did not find Baba ji inside the campus…He is not here,” said Sunil Kumar.
Photographs of Bhole Baba with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have surfaced on social media, adding to the controversy. Bhole Baba is known to have a sprawling ashram in Mainpuri, the native district of the SP chief. This connection has raised several eyebrows and added a political dimension to the incident.
Anupam Kulshreshtha, the Additional Director General (ADG) of Agra Zone, disclosed that special operations group (SoG) teams from seven districts under the Agra zone have been assigned the task of apprehending the organizers of the event. Kulshreshtha mentioned, тАЬWe are moving in a systematic manner, first we will catch the organizers of the event and then as the probe progresses, names of others will be added to the FIR.тАЭ This indicates a phased approach in dealing with those responsible for the catastrophe.
Late on Tuesday night, an FIR was registered against Bhole BabaтАЩs chief disciple, Devprakash Madhukar, and several unnamed organizers. Curiously, Bhole Baba’s name was not mentioned in the FIR. The charges include Sections 105, 110, 126(a), 223, and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS). The FIR notes that over 2.5 lakh people attended the Satsang, despite permission being granted for only 80,000 attendees.
The FIR also accuses Bhole Baba’s bodyguards of exacerbating the situation. The bodyguards allegedly obstructed devotees who were rushing to receive blessings, causing them to fall into a ditch, which led to the tragic loss of lives. Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh confirmed that overcrowding was a significant factor in the disaster.
An initial investigation report by the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) has also come to light. The SDM had given permission for a gathering of 80,000 people in Phulrai village, which is approximately 47 km from Hathras city. However, over 2.5 lakh people ended up attending the event. The report holds Bhole Baba’s personal security guards responsible for the stampede.
According to the SDM’s report, the excessive crowd of devotees gathered in the pandal during the Satsang. After the event, when devotees rushed towards Bhole Baba’s convoy to receive blessings, his security personnel and disciples began pushing them away. This created chaos as Baba’s convoy reached the main road.
The report further details that Bhole Baba left the pandal around 1.40 pm, leaving a massive crowd stranded on the road linked to National Highway-91. The commandosтАЩ efforts to manage the crowd resulted in people falling into a narrow slope, causing a deadly stampede. The area, already slippery due to rain and mud, became a death trap as devotees, mainly women, slipped into the furrow, leading to suffocation and death.
By the time rescue efforts began, many had already succumbed to their injuries. Among the victims, 89 were declared тАЬbrought deadтАЭ at a local hospital in Sikandrarau, while 27 others died en route to Etah. The death toll, initially reported as 116, was later revised to 121 on Wednesday morning.
Amidst the commotion, Bhole Baba, originally known as Suraj Pal and a former constable in the UP police, managed to escape along with his disciples and security personnel. The police continue their efforts to bring those responsible to justice, but the tragic loss of 121 lives remains a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences of mismanaged events.